NameCensus.

UK surname

Dodds

A surname derived from the nickname Dod or Dodde, meaning a round, plump, or chubby person.

In the 1881 census there were 6,346 people recorded with the Dodds surname, ranking it #675 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,394, ranked #688, down from #675 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Northumberland and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dodds is 9,553 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.0%.

1881 census count

6,346

Ranked #675

Modern count

9,394

2016, ranked #688

Peak year

2010

9,553 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dodds had 6,346 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #675 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,394 in 2016, ranked #688.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,904 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dodds surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dodds surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dodds surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dodds over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3,977 #715
1861 historical 4,386 #647
1881 historical 6,346 #675
1891 historical 6,801 #670
1901 historical 7,904 #678
1911 historical 6,798 #760
1997 modern 9,024 #696
1998 modern 9,323 #705
1999 modern 9,412 #701
2000 modern 9,293 #708
2001 modern 9,070 #710
2002 modern 9,267 #713
2003 modern 9,047 #709
2004 modern 9,078 #707
2005 modern 8,925 #709
2006 modern 8,943 #706
2007 modern 9,010 #711
2008 modern 9,088 #704
2009 modern 9,308 #705
2010 modern 9,553 #704
2011 modern 9,443 #701
2012 modern 9,190 #707
2013 modern 9,418 #702
2014 modern 9,495 #694
2015 modern 9,445 #689
2016 modern 9,394 #688

Geography

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Where Dodds' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Northumberland and Gateshead. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 008 County Durham
2 County Durham 009 County Durham
3 Northumberland 020 Northumberland
4 Northumberland 005 Northumberland
5 Gateshead 004 Gateshead

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dodds

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dodds surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dodds

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dodds, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dodds surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dodds household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dodds is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dodds is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dodds falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dodds is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dodds, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dodds

The surname Dodds has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "dodde," which means a bundle of straw or a plant with round tufts, referring to a particular type of grass or sedge. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with straw or sedge.

The earliest recorded use of the name Dodds can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the northern counties. One of the earliest known references is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, which mentions a William Dodde.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in several historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, which listed a John Dod and a Robert Dod. The surname was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, where a Johanna Dodde was recorded.

The Dodds surname is also associated with various place names in England. For instance, the village of Dodds in Northumberland may have derived its name from the surname, or vice versa. The name has also been linked to the town of Doddington in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Dodds. One of the earliest was William Dodds (c. 1460-1535), an English clergyman and Archdeacon of Stow. Another prominent figure was James Dodds (1749-1811), a Scottish minister and author known for his work on theology and philosophy.

In the 19th century, Alfred Dodds (1842-1911) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Savoy Hotel. Walter Dodds (1861-1951), an English cricketer, played first-class cricket for Somerset and captained the team for several seasons.

More recently, Sir Michael Dodds (1921-2011) was a British businessman and industrialist who served as the Chairman of the Midland Bank and was knighted for his contributions to industry and finance.

These are just a few examples of the rich history associated with the surname Dodds, which has its roots in the medieval period and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dodds families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dodds surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 1,926 Dodds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.53x.

County Total Index
Durham 1,926 10.53x
Northumberland 1,390 15.19x
Yorkshire 485 0.80x
Midlothian 379 4.60x
Lanarkshire 285 1.43x
Roxburghshire 226 20.29x
Lancashire 176 0.24x
Middlesex 155 0.25x
Lincolnshire 129 1.31x
Berwickshire 112 15.04x
Selkirkshire 80 14.38x
Kent 63 0.30x
East Lothian 62 7.61x
Surrey 62 0.21x
Wigtownshire 61 7.47x
Cumberland 53 1.00x
Fife 51 1.40x
Ayrshire 49 1.06x
Peeblesshire 41 14.18x
Renfrewshire 38 0.80x
Staffordshire 34 0.16x
Angus 26 0.46x
Cheshire 26 0.19x
Hampshire 25 0.20x
Gloucestershire 24 0.20x
Norfolk 23 0.24x
Dumfriesshire 22 1.62x
Dunbartonshire 21 1.27x
Perthshire 21 0.76x
Clackmannanshire 17 3.35x
Warwickshire 17 0.11x
West Lothian 16 1.73x
Devon 15 0.12x
Essex 14 0.12x
Glamorgan 14 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 14 0.17x
Somerset 14 0.14x
Westmorland 13 0.96x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 1.24x
Berkshire 10 0.22x
Aberdeenshire 9 0.16x
Cornwall 8 0.11x
Stirlingshire 8 0.35x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.18x
Dorset 7 0.17x
Leicestershire 7 0.10x
Suffolk 7 0.09x
Buteshire 6 1.61x
Shropshire 6 0.11x
Hertfordshire 4 0.09x
Isle of Man 4 0.35x
Rutland 4 0.89x
Sussex 4 0.04x
Wiltshire 4 0.07x
Oxfordshire 3 0.08x
Royal Navy 3 0.41x
Sutherland 3 0.63x
Derbyshire 2 0.02x
Argyllshire 1 0.06x
Bedfordshire 1 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.05x
Flintshire 1 0.06x
Morayshire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Gateshead in Durham leads with 203 Dodds' recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.82x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 203 14.82x
Bishopwearmouth 141 8.98x
Westgate 134 23.65x
Elswick 124 16.98x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 115 3.47x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 108 13.63x
Monkwearmouth Shore 91 25.49x
Longbenton 77 19.87x
Darlington 72 10.19x
Barony 65 1.29x
Heworth 65 18.03x
Bedlington 63 20.62x
South Leith 61 6.58x
Chirton 60 28.98x
Cowpen 60 28.48x
Govan 54 1.10x
Wallsend 54 18.61x
Newcastle On Tyne St 53 11.18x
Westoe 52 5.01x
Alnwick 51 32.43x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 50 9.15x
Berwick Upon Tweed 48 24.76x
Byker 46 10.17x
Glasgow 46 1.30x
Dalkeith 45 27.69x
Middlesbrough 43 5.42x
Kelso 42 37.84x
Brandon Byshottles 41 17.89x
Stockton On Tees 40 4.54x
Melrose 38 39.46x
Ecclesall Bierlow 36 2.90x
Holy Trinity 35 2.39x
Cornsay 33 67.01x
Hetton Le Hole 33 14.24x
Tynemouth 33 6.74x
Morpeth 32 29.75x
Coldstream 31 57.54x
Melrose 31 22.14x
Edmondbyers 30 404.86x
Elvet 29 21.96x
Galashiels 29 14.10x
Islington London 29 0.49x
Cramlington 28 23.16x
Esh 28 21.03x
Southwick 28 16.16x
Earsdon 26 34.94x
Haswell 26 19.83x
Tanfield 26 11.95x
Bishop Auckland 25 10.19x
Boldon 25 38.34x
Lamesley 25 25.39x
Monkwearmouth 25 14.28x
Stranton 23 3.73x
Newbottle 22 22.02x
Bethnal Green London 21 0.79x
Crook Billy Row 21 8.96x
Greencroft 21 62.59x
Kirkcaldy 21 11.63x
Wolsingham 21 12.60x
Lesmahagow 20 9.51x
Sunderland 20 6.19x
Whithorn 20 32.15x
Whitworth 20 14.93x
Framwellgate 19 17.53x
Jesmond 19 14.76x
Pencaitland 19 81.86x
Willington 19 17.98x
Bothal Demesne 18 41.11x
Dawdon 18 8.00x
Dunfermline 18 3.22x
Middridge 18 99.45x
West Calder 18 11.09x
Yetholm 18 81.86x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 17 8.72x
Harton 17 23.52x
Hawick 17 6.82x
Jedburgh 17 15.57x
Kyo 17 19.74x
Seghill 17 37.90x
Winlaton 17 9.69x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dodds surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 393
Elizabeth 266
Jane 185
Margaret 177
Ann 126
Sarah 123
Isabella 109
Hannah 70
Ellen 56
Annie 49
Catherine 41
Alice 39
Eliza 28
Eleanor 27
Emma 26
Dorothy 25
Frances 23
Agnes 17
Harriet 17
Emily 14
Esther 14
Janet 14
Maria 14
Martha 14
Elizth. 13
Fanny 13
Barbara 12
Margret 11
Anne 10
Charlotte 10
Edith 10
Florence 10
Grace 10
Margt. 10
Susannah 10
Jessie 9
Kate 9
Caroline 8
Louisa 8
Rebecca 8
Clara 7
Ethel 7
Helen 7
Matilda 7
Phillis 7
Ruth 7
Bridget 6
Christina 6
Harriett 6
Margery 6

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dodds surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 397
William 302
Thomas 244
George 170
James 170
Robert 156
Joseph 118
Edward 71
Henry 67
Charles 53
Ralph 26
Matthew 24
Richard 21
Walter 21
Anthony 20
Arthur 20
David 19
Frederick 17
Thos. 17
Wm. 17
Adam 15
Alexander 14
Alfred 14
Michael 14
Peter 14
Andrew 13
Geo. 11
Benjamin 10
Ernest 10
Fred 10
Harry 8
Luke 8
Philip 8
Robt. 8
Christopher 7
Jno. 7
Samuel 7
Archibald 6
Herbert 6
Martin 6
Stephen 6
Albert 5
Isaac 5
Nicholas 5
Edwd. 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Jonathan 4
Mark 4
Simon 4

FAQ

Dodds surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dodds surname in 1881?

In 1881, 6,346 people were recorded with the Dodds surname. That placed it at #675 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dodds surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,394 in 2016. That gives Dodds a modern rank of #688.

What does the Dodds surname mean?

A surname derived from the nickname Dod or Dodde, meaning a round, plump, or chubby person.

What does the Dodds map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dodds bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.